Mexican ex-pat and Festival Director Samuel Douek said, “It really is a great privilege and honour to run the Hola Mexico Film Festival. My task is to take people on an engaging journey of Mexico through its film. As Festival Director I am able to combine my two great loves – cinema and Mexico – and I get to share these passions with my adopted home here in Australia”.

The festival will showcase the very best of Mexican cinema over the last 12 months featuring a whopping 15 films reflecting the maturity and diversity of Mexican Cinema.

Douek said, “The films we have selected for this year’s festival will bring audiences on a uniquely Mexican journey they will never forget”.

Hola’s opening night film is the multi-award-winning film SIN NOMBRE, from Focus and Canana films, and is an epic dramatic thriller from award-winning director Cary Fukunaga.
Another section will feature what is being touted as Sexy-Comedias.

Mexico has a long lasting tradition of producing risqué comedies about sexual politics. This year the festival will show Sexo, Pudor Y Lagrimas (Sex, Shame and Tears) from 1999 which was one of the films that awoke the Mexican film industry and still maintains a position as one of Mexico's biggest box office hits.

This year Mexico celebrates 99 years since its Revolution and Hola will be celebrating it in a very special way, screening Arrancame La Vida (Tear This Heart Out), Mexico’s biggest hit of 2008.

Douek added, “This has not been an easy year for Mexico, but despite issues like the outbreak of Swine Flu Mexico is a resilient country full of resilient people and we are here to prove it!”
Melbourne 15 - 21 December, ACMI Cinemas

Tickets are on sale now via the ACMI website:

http://www.acmi.net.au/hola_mexico_2009.aspx

Full $15 Concession $12.50
Opening Night Film: $45
Gold Pass (10 films): $130
Silver Pass (5 films): $65
Xmas Inc + Posada: Adult $25 Children $15
Posada only: Adult $10 Children $5

• Website: http://www.holamexicoff.com/09-AU/melbourne/index.html
• Phone: [get phone number]
• Address: Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria,
• [Email Hola Mexico Film Festival]